Henri Charriere

Re: Current "Unusual letter" thread by RWB. Following is an imaginary exchange overheard at the Mint some two weeks following the departure of the Director's clerk... Unnamed 't Clerk: S-a-a-a-y, what happened to that 'O4 dollar that was in the desk's bottom drawer??? Director: I know nothing about it. 🤣 (Posted here so as not to desecrate the above-referenced thread.)

Pardon my impertinence, but enquiring minds would like to know precisely what it was that was gifted as alluded to in the letter.

It is not money, but the love of money that is the root of all evil.

I have not heard from him. I miss him, too. And I was one of the bad ones. One day I posted a coin, a 2-oz. 1804 siver dollar I lovingly referred to as an authorized counterfeit. Time passed. He saw it and left, not a Like, but a glowing comment. I sent it to him. I do hope all is okay in his neck of the woods.

Blast from the Past! 🐓 : Is this place great or what? Q.A.: Tell me about it. Good natured camaraderie and jargoning. Accommodating hosts. A Win-Win!

I had the pleasure of viewing your list of custom sets -- I was left totally in awe, nay, intimidated by what I saw --and am, accordingly, delighted to inform you that you are not resistant, by any means, to having your coins third-party graded. (It's a good thing I was seated as I would have broken my broken leg if I weren't!) It is time to trade-in that hand truck for an industrial strength forklift. 🤣 And lastly, I suspect most members only wish they had your problem vis-a-vis the gross aggregate tonnage of metal an accumulation of encapsulations pose. My 🐓 registry sets, 8 here, 16 over there, the entire extent of my holdings, are manageable. Your custom sets are nothing less than stunning.

Only the chartered, long-time members would know. Anecdotally speaking, that activity has either picked up, or may seem so due to better reporting. 🤔

[I believe this is what VKurtB was referencing when he opined that slabs were not protective. No one I am aware of slabbed a coin solely to protect it from the ravages of the environment.]

Your post is deserving of at least one reply. It might as well be mine. You muse that lost shipments aren't their problem. Well, maybe they shouldn't be. The last time I dealt with the Mint -- that escapade is memorialized at Moderation's discretion on the Unsolicited Comments thread -- was around the time either before or after they were blindsided by orders and decided to farm that function out to authorized dealers. What a mess! That way they wouldn't have to deal with the public directly. I became disenchanted with the Mint and Mint products. You could not pay ME to place an order for coins made from synthetic (non-bullion) metals. I don't know if it's legal or not, but I have effectively boycotted their entire product line. There are others who have adopted the same tack. I was unaware of this latest wrinkle in abdication of responsibility to their loyal subscriber base which I would think they would want to continue if only to maintain cordial customer relations. I guess it is up to the consumer marketplace to decide whether that is a cost-effective move on their part. And to think there was a time when you could acquire a proof set for only two dollars and ten cents! Thank you for taking the time to share this development with the membership.

HOW I WAS ROBBED BY THE U.S. MINT. You read that right, gentle reader. I wuz robbed by the U.S. Mint! How, you may ask, is that possible? Very simple... Back in 2016, if memory serves, I decided to purchase that 4-coin gold set for the then prevailing price of $4,600, or so. Acting in true chiffonier fashion, I went to a local store and purchased five (5) money orders from a hole in the wall company I never heard of. (I am not risk-averse.) I filled out an order form, placed all five money orders in a stamped envelope, and mailed it in the blue box on the street corner. I had five paper stubs. Unbeknownst to me, having stepped out of the hobby in the Sixties, the gold sets, for all intents and purposes, were gone. After an interval, I received a letter in the mail, reading in substance: we're all sold out; here's your money back. IN ONE SINGLE CHECK. Instead of returning my money orders they sent me, a man who did not have a checking account, a check. Now what? I went to a huge check-cashing establishment in Jackson Heights. Queens, New York, the melting pot of NYC where 120 different nationalities are represented. I slipped my NYS Driver License and the check thru the slot. The clerk was mesmerized. They did not know who I was or what the check was for. I told them there was a phone number on it and suggested they call it. (I tell you it's not a comfortable feeling standing in a crowd of strange people from strange lands, foreigners, and trying to negotiate a transaction with clerks who spoke little English and trying to explain to them discreetly, soto voce, what the big check was for. "Wha tis dis bull-YONE?" You get the idea.) Now the manager got involved. Everyone wanted to see the big check. Finally, the clerk speaking to a Mint employee in Spanish said, Ok! OK! Ok!, smiled, hung up, and returned to the counter and counted out all those big bills -- minus some 73 dollars for the check-cashing fee. I learned later that checks greater than $2,000 are rarely encountered so fees are not posted and had to be calculated. I asked the nice lady to place the money in an envelope, thanked her, and walked out. I felt the eyes of all the clerks and manager bore thru the back of my head. You may look at things differently-- you who have checking accounts at banks, but I was effectively out, i.e., ROBBED of $80: subway, coming and going, five money orders, SASE, check-cashing fee -- for absolutely nothing. It was the largest check I believe I had ever gotten and, in all the excitement, neither I nor apparently the cashier realized I had never endorsed the check! True story. 🐓 Posted at Moderation's discretion.

SGS... Special Grading Service? [I believe there is either a home remedy or commercial cleaner that can be used to safely restore the holder much the way one would an automobile's head lamps for clear visibility.]

The coin pictured above reminds me of the 1-kilo Kookaburra I had. Point well taken. Curious, did you manage to find the coin you were looking for in Germany?

The truth is "The Truth," lies somewhere in between. When you consider all the instances where milk spots and so-called carbon spots have developed in OGH, SDB as well as TPGS encapsulations, not to mention all manner of toning, you come to the realization that PMD may be abated but there is no environment or circumstance, within reason, that provides perfect preservation. I recall a discussion regarding, for lack of knowledge of the formal term used, a TPGS' "warrant of habitability." Encapsulations are not Final Resting Places. A diamond may be "forever," but slabbed coins aren't. We have members whose coins have inexplicably undergone changes in color, luster and overall eye appeal, while encapsulated in climate-controlled conditions which, in many cases, is the very reason(s) they chose to acquire the piece in the first place. It is analogous to water-resistant vs. water-proof. I have never heard another member insist on slabbing for no other reason than protection. They make do with what coin collectors have since caveman days: flips, air-tites, albums -- oh, and pallets. The stone coins are on their own. 🤣

The discoverer always has naming rights. 🤣

Condolences much appreciated. 🤣

FWIW: I purchased what can be best described as an oversized hobo nickel from a seller which the eBay indicated would be shipped to me from China. The reverse was depicted as being that of a Morgan dollar which resembled the one posted above by the OP. Interestingly, there was an OBO option which allowed me to purchase it for 60% of the listed price. My 50% off offer was not rejected outright. Instead, my offer prompted a reply that I would have a better chance of acquiring the item if I made a more realistic offer. The item was due within 30 days. I was not in any rush to receive it, but when I did I saw another side to this whole Chinese coin manufacturing process. The item I received absolutely, positively, did not ship from China. There were no Chinese characters anywhere on the package. Instead, the exterior bore a return address from Kentucky. All the documentation you would normally expect to receive in an international shipment was missing. In fact, I do not recall receiving any paperwork at all. I have a feeling that parties in the United States, acting in concert with their wholesale partners in China, is another more sinister aspect of the proliferation of Chinese goods to the U.S. that I have never heard mentioned. I have found that more attention is paid to those who were actually defrauded then those who report an item. I truly do not believe that these platforms have the time, resources [and inclination] to pursue properly conducted investigations, hence the boilerplate replies.

Not really an error of any kind. Just a tragic accident. A frog tried to beat the press in an admirable jump, but lost. You can see the webbed feet hanging down clearly on either side of Jefferson's chin.

Will the wonders never cease? Now circulating on the internet... "Eight rare dimes and rare Bicentennial Quarter worth $82 million each are still in circulation." The membership will forgive me for lacking the curiosity to investigate this further. The website had a ridiculous name and, yes, I scrolled away. 🤣

Lovely letter but leaves collectors like me in the lurch when a highly-respected well-known dealer in Europe, Le Comptoir Des Monnaies also d//b/a numiscorner.com) lists a 1904 French 20-francs gold rooster and in its description refers to it as a "Counterfeit Forgery," for which it will be pleased to offer you a Certificate of Authencity, and grading to boot, "if you so wish." Nice! Alright, so there evidently is no intent to deceive: They virtually guarantee its authenticity as a genuine counterfeit. The collector cannot submit it for certification and one member questioned whether it can even be subsequently sold. So possession is okay, but then what? Sale is not, unless you inform the buyer it really isn't real? Complicating the matter is the fact that it's gold fineness is .90000000000000002 -- the same as a genuine one! The 12 thousandth of a gram difference in weight I attribute to the loss of metal from the cheek of Marianne which was likely an attempt to determine its authenticity. (There are similar indications of abrasion likely inflicted by those who wanted a second opinion.) Oh, and do not tarry collectors, prospective buyers are reminded, as these rare delectable morsels go fast. Aficionados of such niche specialties may see the whole sad, sorry, saga posted on the French 20-franc gold rooster thread elsewhere on this Forum. Posted at the discretion of Moderation.

[Note to file... let the foregoing record reflect the fact that subject is unable or unwilling to accede to a simple and reasonable request to substantiate his assertion or otherwise cite the source of his information.]

Welcome aboard! I see the "doubling" you are referring to. The more experienced members will probably ask you to post photos of your coin, front and back, to assist you further in identification. I am not sure what you mean by "steel sealed" but they undoubtedly will.

Welcome to the Forum! I do not have any specific knowledge about this coin but can tell you your grandmother likely kept it for deep personal and sentimental reasons. There are a number of these coins featured on the numista.com website. You may wish to explore the various examples shown there by simply Googling: "5 Chon 1902" and matching your coin with the photos and specifications provided.

"Enhanced" business strikes? I don't know which sounds worse, qualifying a term whose etymology I challenge anyone to trace, or characterizing, of all things, one of the first coins minted of the first year of its series as a "Presentation Piece," despite exhibiting severe PMD on its obverse. Is the above coin, whether SP or not, something you would feel comfortable presenting to someone, whether a close colleague or official dignitary? No, never! However the coin was iredeemably damaged, it no longer is what it once was. It is now a common, circulation strike coin. It is not enhanced. If anything, it is grossly degraded and certification would be appropriate if it were intended as a gift to the submitter's worst enemy.

[I've got my abacus; now where's that slide rule my father left me... Many good points raised; all are well-taken. I feel, however, the market will be the ultimate arbiter. Should the levees of New Orleans be re-re-re-built at a cost of billions, or, knowing the land is continually sinking, should an effort be made to relocate? Water always seeks its own level. How well A.I. is received ought to be left to the up and coming generations. There are no games on my [wife's] phone either. It wouldn't matter if there were. If you are of retirement age or older, it's no longer your world, or mine. Here today. Gone tomorrow. A quote from Old Abe: ".... The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here...." Good nite, all! 🐓

Both great acquisitions, Hog! You were in the right place at the right time!